Heat Rash

Perspiration helps to regulate your body temperature by cooling you down as it evaporates through your skin. Donning tight-fitting clothes in fabrics such as nylon and polyester traps sweat and heats up your skin, causing it to swell and plug sweat ducts. Heatrash
occurs when these blocked ducts force sweat to trickle into your skin
rather than out of it. This problem usually develops on clothed areas of
your body, such as the abdomen, neck, upper chest, back, groin and armpits.

When you have heatrash, the first thing you must do is to cool down your body. Find an air-conditioned room where you can relax while your body cools off.
Alternatively, take a cold shower or bath to minimize the prickly
sensation on your skin. Meanwhile, you might want to consider trying one
or more of these home remedies:

1. Ice pack. Cooling your skin is a number one priority to prevent heatrash from raging further. Pack some ice cubes into a sealed plastic bag and wrap it in a dishcloth. Apply to the affected areas for five to ten
minutes at a time. Repeat every four to six hours.

2. Powdered bath. Baking soda or fine-ground oatmeal powder works wonders to ease the itch from a heatrash. Add a few tablespoons of either to your tepid bath water and stir it well so that it dissolves completely. Then, enjoy a good soak in the
tub. You will feel refreshed and more comfortable as your rash heals.

3. Dusting. After a cold bath or shower, dust yourself thoroughly with baking soda, cornstarch or an absorbent powder such as unscented talcum powder. This helps absorb some of the excess moisture that causes heatrash. Reapply these powders as often as possible, rinsing and drying yourself well beforehand.

4. Lotions. There are many non-prescription lotions that relieve the itch from heatrash. Smooth mentholated or calamine lotion on your skin to cool the irritated areas. Alternatively, gently apply the gel from an aloe vera leaf, a plant well-known for its healing and soothing properties. Do this two or three times per day and remember to wash the affected
areas thoroughly before reapplication. Avoid thick or oily ointments and
creams, as they can worsen the condition.

5. Air-dry. If you have developed blisters due to a severe heatrash, do not bandage or cover them. Instead, expose the rash as often as you can to fresh air. This helps the skin to heal more quickly.

While these home remedies are often successful in treating heatrash, it is still important to take extra precautions to prevent a recurrence of this problem. Avoid wearing constrictive clothing and fabrics that
inhibit perspiration from evaporating properly. Put on comfortable,
loose-fitting, cotton
clothes, especially if the weather is hot and humid. Watch your weight
carefully, as those who are overweight or obese tend to sweat more and
are therefore predisposed to heatrash.

Heatrash should disappear within a week. However, if your tiny red bumps develop into white pustules and your rash persists for more than two weeks, contact your doctor, as this could be an indication of a more serious skin problem such as eczema.

Home Remedies for Heat Rash

With saggy diapers and snug-fitting jumpers, babies are prime candidates for heat rash, while adults often encounter this skin irritation during an intense workout. Heat rash (also known as
prickly heat) is your body’s response to heated sweat that becomes
trapped on your skin. Usually, the condition strikes in clothed parts of
the body, such as the neck, stomach, upper chest, armpits, back, and
groin. If your skin is unable to cool down due to a barrier (like
tight-fitting clothes), the resulting perspiration can cause sweat ducts
to swell and become plugged. To soothe a case of heat rash, consider
home remedies to provide relief.

Typical causes of heat rash include [1]:

Underdeveloped sweat ducts – seen in newborn patients

Physical activity and hard work

Medications – like some high blood pressure and acne drugs

Clothing materials – such as nylon and polyester

Heavy or electric blankets during the wintertime

Long stays in a hospital bed

Bacteria

Heat rash symptoms usually appear in adults within the folds of their skin and in the places where clothing causes friction. Infants encounter the rash on their head, neck, shoulders, chest, back, and in
some cases – their armpits and groin. Depending on the type of heat rash
you have (Miliaria crystalline, Miliaria rubra, or Miliaria profunda),
you will develop clear blisters or bumps, red bumps, intense itching,
prickly sensations, and/or goose bump-like responses.

Heat Rash Home Remedies

Cooling down your body is one of the main approaches towards fighting a heat rash. Fortunately, the majority of heat rash fades away without any medical attention, while severe cases are especially in need of a
helping hand from the following home remedies:

a) Aloe:

Whether you have an aloe plant growing on the kitchen windowsill or aloe lotion in the cabinet, this plant possesses a gel that relieves the itch of heat rash, as well as boosts the healing process. Apply aloe
two to three times per day, making sure to wash affected areas in
between applications.

b) Powder Yourself:

After taking a cold bath or shower, dust yourself with cornstarch, baking soda, or unscented baby powder. This will help eliminate some of the extra moisture that can lead to heat rash.

c) Ice:

Prevent further discomfort by cooling your skin with ice cubes contained in a sealed plastic bag. Before applying to the skin, make sure to wrap it in a dishcloth. Place the ice on affected areas for five
to ten minutes at a time; and repeat every four to six hours.

d) Stay Away from Creams and Ointments:

Using creams and ointments to treat your heat rash will only cause pores to become blocked.

e) Lightweight Clothing:

Keep moisture off of your skin by dressing in loose-fitting, lightweight clothing during times of hot weather.

f) Calamine Lotion:

Calming itchy and irritated skin is just as easy as reaching for the calamine lotion. You may also enjoy the same effect by using a cool compress.

g) Put Away the Towel:

After taking a bath, instead of using a towel, allow your skin to air-dry.

h) Cold Shower or Bath:

Hop into a cold shower or bath to reduce the prickly sensation that accompanies a bout of heat rash. Enhance your bath by adding baking soda or fine-ground oatmeal powder to treat itchiness. A couple of
tablespoons will work wonders when added to lukewarm bathwater. Make
sure to stir the powder until it becomes dissolved. Soak in the tub and
enjoy heat rash relief.

i) Turn the Air Conditioner On:

Situate yourself directly in front of your air conditioner for a relaxing remedy sure to cool off your body.

Take a nice cool bath to help your body cool down. Relax and soak until you feel your body temperature get back to normal.

Step 2

Some excellant home remedies for heat rash are baking soda and oatmeal powder. You can add a couple tablespoons of baking soda, or a sprinkling of oatmeal powder to your cool bath to ease the itching of
heat rash. Either remedy will help to calm and soothe heat rash. Do not
rub your skin dry as this will irritate the rash. Pat your skin dry with a soft towel.

Note: You can make oatmeal powder by simply putting oatmeal in a blender and grind it into a powder.

Step 3

It is very important to keep your skin dry when treating heat rash. You can do this by applying talcum powder or cornstarch. Both work very well as home remedies for heat rash by absorbing any moisture
and keeping the skin dry.

Step 4

Aloe vera is a wonderful plant and an effective natural home remedy for heat rash. Apply the gel from the plant to the effected area
as often as needed to aid in healing and to soothe heat rash.

Step 5

Another natural home remedy for heat rash is sliced cucumbers. They have been found to be very soothing to heat rash. Apply sliced cucumbers to the affected area as often as needed for relief.

Home Remedies for Heat Rash

• Take a lukewarm bath or shower.

• Add oatmeal and baking soda to bath water. In a blender, grind 2 cups of rolled oats into a fine powder. Add the oatmeal powder and 1 cup of
baking soda to your bath water, swish it around real good until it
dissolves, and soak for 15-20 minutes. This will help relieve itching.

• After taking a bath or shower, allow your skin to air-dry (instead of using a towel) then sprinkle some baking soda or cornstarch on your heat rash.

• Make a homemade botanical powder. Use lavender, rosemary, and/or mint. All are effective herbalremedies for heat rash. Powder a 1/2 cup of one or more of the mentioned herbs, place it in a glass jar (like a Mason jar), add 1 cup of cornstarch, and
shake well. Apply the powder a few times throughout the day.

• Aloe has a soothing effect that can stop the itch and speed up healing time. You can use a lotion or, better yet, use fresh gel from the plant.

• Cucumber is another soothing remedy that can relieve heat rash symptoms. Peel a cucumber and, in a blender, puree it for 10 seconds. Strain the water
out and apply the puree over the rash. After 20 minutes, wash it off.

The above home remedies should have your heat rash gone within a week.

Homeopath

Blocked sweat glands trap perspiration deep within the dermis , causing heat rash. To prevent it, keep problem areas clean and dry. If you already have heat rash, homeopathy can help alleviate it. A potent preparation of stinging nettle (Urtica urens), a weed that in the wild could cause your skin to burn and itch, can help cure conditions like rashes. Take 30C of stinging nettle every few hours;
once you begin to see improvement, stop using the remedy. If there's no
improvement after two or three doses, you can try other homeopathic
remedies like sulphur, which is used for chronic skinconditions that worsen in the heat, and apis (also known as honeybee), which is good for hives and swollen tissues. http://www.naturalhealthmag.com/beauty/22

Dusting powders can also work to prevent heat rash. Try a homemade
herbal dusting powder to avoid talc, which is in many commercial powders
and has been found to cause cancer. You can prepare dusting powder as a
home remedy for heat rash by following the steps below:

1.
Powder ½ cup dried herbs using a spice mill, coffee grinder or mortar
and pestle. Herbs that are good home remedies for heat rash include
mint, rose, rosemary, or lavender.2. Place the dried herb in a wide mouth glass jar, a Mason jar works well. 3. Add 1 cup of rice flour or cornstarch to the herb. 4. Screw on the lid and shake well to mix the herbal body powder.